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Posts Tagged ‘inspirational quote’

October 3, 2014 Edition Drunk on milk, Charlotte sleeps contentedly in my mother’s arms. My dad looks on and says to me, “Right now, under this roof, there are four generations.” Remarkable indeed. Charlotte is blessed with four great-grandparents who love her and who will share their infinite wisdom with her. And because life is a two-way street, these great-grandparents receive blessings in return. A new baby in the family invigorates spirits, brings new meaning to life, and expands the capacity to love.

#1 – For Children’s Sake
16 Simple Ways to Reduce Plastic Waste A recurring discussion in my household pops up every time my husband tosses out something that can be recycled, upcycled, re-purposed, or re-used. I used to say to him, “Imagine what the world is going to be like for your grandchildren, if the majority of the people in this world are not more conscientious.” Now that we have a granddaughter, I say to him, “Think about the world you want Charlotte to live in.” Start today. Do your share. The children are counting on us. To that point, here are 16 Simple Ways to Reduce Plastic Waste.

#2 – Iris’s World
Iris Grace: 5 Year-Old Autistic Girl With a Gift Iris Grace is not your average 5-year-old. With an eye for color and movement, Iris paints “masterpieces” that are sold around the world. She is also autistic. Despite the fact that she barely speaks, she expresses herself beautifully through her artwork.

#3 – It’s Autumn
12 Before-And-After Photos of Autumn's Beautiful Transformations In the northern hemisphere, the autumnal equinox or the first day of autumn occurred last week. With 90-degree temperatures predicted for this weekend, it’s hard to make the transition from summer to autumn here. To help ease the transition, here are 12 Before-And-After Photos of Autumn’s Beautiful Transformations.

#4 – Best Friends
With the help of his cat-friend Pudditat, an old, blind and partially deaf dog named Tervel, can get around and enjoy the rest of his life.

#5 – Your World
“Children reinvent your world for you.”
Susan Sarandon

Now go and spread joy!

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Taos Turquoise Door Doors open and close. That’s their job. They let things in and they keep things out. Using doors as a metaphor, how well do you monitor the door to your soul? Do you allow joy to effortlessly blow in to your soul like a fresh breeze? Do you allow prejudice and hate to sneak in through your door? Do you lock and bolt your door never letting anyone or anything in? You do realize, of course, that you have the ultimate power over who or what enters and who or what you keep out. Be mindful. Be present. And yes, doors are better than walls.

#1 – How A-Door-Able!
60 Ways to Upcycle Doors Creativity rules when it comes to upcycling doors. Check out these clever ways to decorate your home and garden using old doors.

#2 – Joy of Cookies
The cookie monster that resides inside of me craves as much cookie information as I can get. Watch this animated TED-Ed video on the chemistry of cookies and if you’re like me, you’ll want to bake some cookies right away.

#3 – Photo Contest
National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest It’s not too late to enter the 26th annual National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest 2014. The deadline is June 30th of this year. Check out your competition by looking at 30 Most Incredible Entries on 2014 National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest.

#4 – Beggar or Philanthropist?
When you look at this man in the photo, what do you see? Don’t be too quick to jump to conclusions. To some people, he may appear to be a beggar, but to others, he is an extraordinary man. What do you think? Inspirational Man

#5 – Follow Your Bliss
“Follow your bliss and the universe will open doors where there were only walls.”
Joseph Campbell

Go Now and Spread Joy!

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Sunflowers What is it about sunflowers that make people feel happy? Is it their bright sunny color or their large happy faces? Is it their petals that resemble rays of sunshine? Or is it their unassuming and friendly demeanor? Some things in life like sunflowers, puppies, and babies just automatically push our happy buttons. What else makes you happy?

#1 – What is Happiness
Best Friends What would your answer be, if someone asked you, “What’s the one thing that’s shown you what happiness is?” Read the answers from 18 people of all ages on Thought Catalog.

#2 – Harmonious Packaging
Creative Packaging When content and packaging come together, as in 25 AWESOME Packaging Designs Guaranteed to Delight You, the world is a happier place. Creative packaging can show off the fun side of almost any product.

# 3 – Armchair Bucket List

The Armchair Bucket List

Shampoo Your Hair in the Rain

“How many of these simple life experiences have you been lucky enough to enjoy?” reads the introduction to the Armchair Bucket List from List Challenges. How many activities can you check off?

#4 – Incredible Wood Carving
12-Foot-Long Wood Carving Chinese Artist Zheng Chunhui spent the last four years copying a famous Chinese painting. The difference between his piece of art and the original one is his choice of medium. Using a twelve-foot tree trunk as his canvas and carving tools, he painstaking carved an intricate replica of the painting, complete with buildings, boats, bridges, landscaping, and “more than 550 people.” Click here to see photos of this work and note the video link at bottom of the article.

#5 – This Is Harmony
“If you were all alone in the universe with no one to talk to, no one with which to share the beauty of the stars, to laugh with, to touch, what would be your purpose in life? It is other life, it is love, which gives your life meaning. This is harmony. We must discover the joy of each other, the joy of challenge, the joy of growth.” Mitsugi Saotome

Now go and spread joy!

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Poppies and Oaks Take a walk through this photo with me. What do you see? Trees? Yes, what kind of trees? Flowers? How many different colored flowers are there? Looking at the shadows, from what direction is the sun shining? How observant are you when you are out and about? When you go for a walk, do you take in the sights, the sounds, and the smells that bombard your senses or do you push the sensory inputs away? Although it’s nice to chat with friends or listen to a book or music while walking, every now and then try being fully present during a walk and be grateful for the wondrous world around you.

#1 – The Gift of the Present
20 Calming or Invigorating Mini Meditations You Can Practice Every Day Do you feel as if you operate on autopilot most of the time? The hustle and bustle of our days can carry us million of miles away from the present moment and distract us from reveling in the only moment we have for sure. Margarita Tartakovsky, M.S. wrote an article called, 20 Calming or Invigorating Mini Meditations You Can Practice Every Day. Whether you practice meditation or not, read through her list and select one of the entries to try today. You might find that, as a result, you are a kinder, more patient, and more focused person. I appreciated the entire list, but these five entries resonated with me:

Think of your mind as a swinging door. “Thoughts and feelings come in and out, like people. Be the door, not the doorman.”

When you turn on the faucet, focus on the bigger picture. “See the water flowing down from the glaciers and mountains, running deep into the earth, sustaining you and all life.”

Visualize a mountain lake with a smooth, glassy surface. A breeze sends ripples across the water. As the breeze quiets down, so do the ripples, and the water returns to being smooth. When something ruffles you, return to this visualization. “Feel the ripples and then let them settle.”

When you get home from work, every day, stand in front of your door and appreciate the moment. Rejoice in it. “Breathe in and out three times.”

As you’re trying to fall asleep, “imagine that with each breath you are melting into an ocean of light and space.”

#2 – The Bottom of the Jar
Whole Foods Condiments Do you throw away bottles or jars of ketchup, mustard, or mayonnaise when just a little bit remains in the container? The next time you’re in that situation, don’t throw it away. Try creating something new by using one of these recipes from Whole Foods. For example, did you know that you could make Caesar Dressing or Honey Mustard Marinade with just the tablespoon or two that’s normally left at the bottom?

# 3 – Discard Art
Hey, how many times do I have to tell you not to throw stuff away? Instead, use your imagination and let your inner artist come out. You could create:

Giant Fish Sculptures from Discarded Plastic Bottles
Fish Sculpture From Discarded Bottles

Dresses From Recycled Materials Money Dress: Dress ,made from recycled materials


Stacked Book Sculptures
Used Book Sculptures


Watch Part Sculptures
Watch Part Sculptures

Junk Part Portraits Junk Parts Portraits

#4 – A Letter From Dad
A Letter From a Father to His Daughter Dr. Kelly Flanigan, a therapist, wrote a inspirational and thought-provoking letter to his young daughter about relationships. Every person, not just women, should read it. Relationships are two-way streets and both parties must know their worth and must recognize the value in themselves.

#5 – Just A Moment
“Dance. Smile. Giggle. Marvel. TRUST. HOPE. LOVE. WISH. BELIEVE. Most of all, enjoy every moment of the journey, and appreciate where you are at this moment instead of always focusing on how far you have to go.”
― Mandy Hale, The Single Woman: Life, Love, and a Dash of Sass

Be in the present. Now go and spread joy!

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California Poppies A morning stroll leads me past a bend of wildflowers. Small spikes of purple lupines contrast beautifully with rounded mounds of orange poppies. One by one,  the tightly-wound poppy buds gradually unfurl as the morning sun warms them. Larger petals catch the breeze and flutter about like dancers with capes. They dance to the sweet melodies of birds, adding perfection to the moment. The day is young, but this day holds promise. How can it not, with such a beautiful beginning?

#1 – Making Napkin Roses
Making Napkin Roses Beautify your home by bringing fresh flowers indoors and make these napkin roses to add a lovely touch to your spring table. Written instructions here.

#2 – Fruit Hacks
Fruit Hacks I can vouch for some of these hacks and am curious to try some of the other 21 Fruit Hacks That Will Make Your Life Easier. I’m game for anything that makes life easier, aren’t you?

#3 – The House on the Hill

Behind a Little House

Manuel Cosentino

Italian artist Manuel Cosentino visited a little house on a hill, over a two-year period, to photograph it against dramatic natural elements. Although the little house stands small in stature compared to the vastness of its backdrop, it acts as an anchor to the perpetual motion of time and weather. To see more of Cosentino’s Behind a Little House project, click here.

#4 – Would You Stay Here?
Giraffe Manor in Kenya If eating breakfast with giraffes sounds like an interesting way to start the day, then you need to plan a visit to the Giraffe Manor in Kenya. I’m not keen on any type of “before you die” wording and I can’t figure out why people don’t just say “while you enjoy life.” That being said, after viewing 48 Epic Dream Hotels to Visit Before You Die, I added a few more places to visit while I’m enjoying my life!

#5 – No Matter What, Wildflowers Still Bloom
“No matter how chaotic it is, wildflowers will still spring up in the middle of nowhere.”
Sheryl Crow

Have a lovely weekend. Now go and spread joy!

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Phalaenopsis Orchid Image A miracle happened. A magnificent flower blossomed under the care of a person who has two brown thumbs. Yes, that person is me. Several years ago a friend gave me an orchid for my birthday. Acknowledging my inability to keep plants alive, she said something to the effect, “It’s pretty to look at now.” I believe in miracles, because not believing in them would mean I have no hope. Despite witnessing the orchid’s flowerless years, I always hoped it would bloom again. Knowing what little care I give to it, it’s a miracle to me that this plant has flowers at all and that, in itself, gives me hope that it will bloom again. Hope and miracles perpetuate each other.

#1 – 21 Questions About Yourself
Marcel Proust When I want to get to know a person better, I ask him questions. Following that logic, why not ask questions of myself to, perhaps, learn something from my answers? French writer Marcel Proust answered a questionnaire in a friend’s confession book, a type of autograph book popular in the late nineteenth century. The questions and subsequent answers were meant to reveal one’s innermost thoughts. Selecting questions from a Proust Questionnaire on Wikipedia and from Marta Randall’s Proust’s Character Questionnaire, I present you with 21 questions to answer about yourself. By answering honestly, you might learn something new.

1. What is your idea of perfect happiness?
2. When and where were you the most happiest?
3. What do you consider your greatest achievement?
4. What or who is the greatest love of your life?
5. Where would you like to live?
6. What is your favorite journey?
7. What is your most treasured possession?
8. What is your greatest extravagance?
9. What is your most marked characteristic?
10. Which talent would you most like to have?
11. What is it that you most dislike?
12. What is your greatest fear?
13. If not yourself, who would you be?
14. What is your greatest regret?
15. On what occasions do you lie?
16. If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?
17. What is the trait you most deplore in yourself?
18. What is the trait you most deplore in others?
19. What do you appreciate the most in your friends?
20. Which words or phrases do you most overuse?
21. What is your motto?

#2 – Light Up Your World
Easy Mason Jar Luminaries Here’s a project that will have you saying, “Why didn’t I think of that!” Buy new mason jars or, even better, repurpose glass jars you already have sitting in a kitchen cabinet and cover them with glass “pebbles.” The easy instructions are here.

#3 – Keeping Avocados Green
Keeping avocados fresh and green This isn’t a miracle, but if it works, it’s a great kitchen tip. According to The Kitchn, the best way to keep avocados fresh and green is to store the cut avocado in an airtight container with a chunk of onion. Put the lid on the container and place it in the refrigerator. I plan on testing this tip out this weekend. Have any of you had success with this method?

#4 – Avoid The Lines
Lines at the Eifel tower Wouldn’t it be a miracle if you could just walk up to the Eiffel Tower and get to the top of it immediately without having to wait in line? For those of you who are planning vacations right now to a major tourist destination, this article How to Beat The Queues At The World’s Busiest Attractions may be of help.

#5 – Miracles Happen Everyday
Miracles happen everyday, change your perception of what a miracle is and you’ll see them all around you.
Jon Bon Jovi

Now go and spread joy!

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Ellie's Belly “Arggh! Who put the baby fat back on my body?” I exclaim as I peel off another shirt and toss it on top of the “No-Longer-Looks-Good” pile of clothing. I hate cleaning out my closet. Standing in the middle of my closet with my midriff showing, while in the midst of spring cleaning, I think it would be fair to say that I’m experiencing a midlife crisis. I know exactly who put the baby fat back on my body. Chastising myself for allowing it to happen, I vow to get on the treadmill and lift weights today and I might even do it again tomorrow.

#1 – Get the Hang of It
Closet Organization Cleaning out a clothes closet is a task for the decisive. Don’t assume that things fit. Try on everything, because, not only do styles change, bodies do, too. As you come across clothes that haven’t been worn for a while or items that “kinda” fit, you need to make decisions. If you haven’t worn an item of clothing for a year or more, there must be a reason for that: too small, too large, wrong color, bad style, poor condition, needs to be altered, sentimental attachment, or whatever. Honestly, just get rid of the item. Yes, get rid of it even if it still sports a price tag. It’s taking up valuable real estate in your closet!

If you don’t have a clue which clothes you wear regularly, load all your hangers in one direction on the rod – the necks of the hangers either all facing the front or all facing the back. When you wear something, turn the hanger around and put the item back on it. In a year’s time, after all the seasons have passed, take a look at which hangers haven’t been turned around. Eliminate those clothes from your closet.

The items of clothing that “kinda” fit, ones you would definitely wear if you lost 5 pounds, get a six-month reprieve. Put them on specific-colored hangers. Place a sticky note on the backside of your closet door indicating the date for the final judgment. When that day arrives, try on everything on those hangers and make an honest decision whether they go or they stay.

#2 – Simplify Your World
Clever Tip Looking for ways to organize or simplify your world? Read 40 Clever Life Hacks to Simplify Your World and decide which ones you want to try. Being skeptical about some of them, I did a little online sleuthing and found these amusing “Life Hacks Debunked” videos from Mental Floss.

#3 – Swapping Clothes
Spring-Autumn by Qozop Would you be willing to swap clothes with one of your elders? In his photo series Spring-Autumn, photographer Qozop asked his models, pairs of young and old, to swap clothes. Scroll through the intriguing before and after photos and ponder Shakespeare’s paraphrased line “clothes makes the man.”

#4 – Wall Art From Upcycled Magazines
Upcycling Old Magazines Three words describe wall art made from rolled-up magazine pages: clever, colorful, and customizable. Imagine all the design variations you can make using this technique. I knew I saved old magazines for a reason!

#5 – Clean Your House
“We are used to cleaning the outside house, but the most important house to clean is yourself – your own house – which we never do.”
Marina Abramovic

Now go and spread joy!

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Abstract Chard Leaves Line, shape, color and light transform chard leaves into abstract art for me. How do you view the world around you? If you were to paint a picture, would you paint the sun yellow, the sky blue and the trees green? If so, you’d better take a closer look, because sometimes the sun burns a fiery orange and the sky mellows to a soft pink and trees in shadow appear blue. Be cognizant of the world around you. Take note of details. Look for beauty. And be grateful for it all.

#1 – Creative Ways with Fruits and Vegetables
Creative Ways With Vegetables Fruit and vegetable platters don’t have to be boring. Try envisioning empty platters as blank canvases waiting to be transformed into appetizing works of art. Click the link to see more ideas.

#2 – Arm Knitting
See knitting in a different light. Here’s a hands-on project (pun intended) in which you literally substitute your hands and arms for knitting needles! The technique is called arm knitting. By casting stitches on one arm and transferring them back and forth to the other arm, you can knit a chunky scarf in under 30 minutes. It’s hands down the easiest way to knit! For instruction watch the Arm Knitting for Beginners video above or go to this site sponsored by Lion Brand yarn.

#3 – Do You See What I See?
Art by Tineke Meirink The next time you go for a walk, take your imagination along. While out and about, look at something and imagine what else it could be. That’s what Dutch illustrator Tineke Meirink does. She photographs a subject and then cleverly shows it as what she sees or imagines it to be. Check out more of her work on Bored Panda.

#4 – Seeing the World Differently
4 Ways to See Yourself and the World Differently In the article Get Some Perspective: 4 Ways to See Yourself and the World Differently, the author Rebecca A. Watson states, Sometimes it takes getting farther away from something to see it for what it really is. It’s that whole forest-for-the-trees thing. The same is true when it comes to how we see ourselves. If we could each step back in times of stress, confusion, angst, uncertainty, anger, etc. and try to see the big picture, our perspective of situations might change. This particular passage resonated with me, My ego is usually the part of me that doesn’t want me to take risks and see myself for the star that I am. It wants to keep me from submitting my writing or taking that rock climbing class because if I fail, how embarrassing and horrible would that be? Not all that terrible, it turns out. How many passages in this article resonate with you?

#5 – Think Differently
“Discovery consists in seeing what everyone else has seen and thinking what no-one else has thought.”
— Albert von Szent-Gyorgyi

Have a great weekend. Now go and spread joy!

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"Made With Love" Cookies Stamped with words, but made with love. I know this, because I made these cookies. No other day of the year combines words with love as well as Valentine’s Day. It seems tragic to me that some people can profess their love on this day, but not on other days of the year. My philosophy holds that love should be expressed everyday, in as many ways as possible. The challenge for all of us is to discover the hundreds of ways we can show love.

#1 – Show Your Love
Kris Carr On Valentine’s Day in 2003, Kris Carr was diagnosed with an incurable cancer. She then embarked on a passionate journey to enjoy her life more fully. From her blog, comes this post on How to Show Your Love.

#2 – Love Stories images Love has many faces and forms. In 1999, PBS gathered love stories from people across the country and created a series titled American Love Stories. These stories highlight diversity in relationships and tell about love in the face of prejudices involving race, religion, age, gender and more.

#3 – Heart-Shaped Envelopes
Turn a heart-shaped piece of paper into an envelope for your Valentine’s Day card or for any special occasion card, such as an anniversary card or a wedding card. If you don’t want to cut a heart out of paper, use a heart-shaped paper doily! Make an Envelope From a Heart-shaped Piece of Paper

#4 – Another Win-Win Idea
Last September, I repurposed clean and gently-worn t-shirts by making them into scarves and tote bags for the homeless. Now I have another project that again helps planet Earth and the homeless. I recently took a crochet class at my local craft store and will be putting my new skill to a test as I try crocheting plastic bags into sleeping mats for the homeless. These mats provide a moisture barrier from the damp cold ground and they offer more cushion than a piece of cardboard. To learn how to crochet these mats, watch the video below. Don’t know how to crochet? No problem, just click on You Tube video tutorials to learn how.

#5 – Joy is Love
Joy is love – a joyful heart is the normal result of a heart burning with love, for she gives most who gives with joy.
Mother Teresa

Happy Valentine’s Day! Now Go and Spread Joy!

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Dogs:  Parts of a Black Lab The sum of all parts makes for an engaging whole. Buster, my grand-pup, tries to ignore me as I walk around him with my camera. I’m touching him but, worse than that, I’m in his face and I’m interrupting his nap. Like most other dogs, he prefers not to establish “eye contact” with my camera lens. And occasionally, he cocks his head at the weird sounds I make to get his attention. Holding his paw in one hand and trying to focus my camera with my other hand, I say to him, “This is what happens when your mommy and daddy leave you with me. You get to be Grandma’s model!”

#1 – Face Your Fears
Buster If something holds you back from attaining what you want, you need to read Stop Being Afraid by Jeff Goins. At the end of the article, a reader left this noteworthy comment: “Whenever I see the word fear, I think of an acronym for it: False Evidence Appearing Real.” I thought about this acronym and about the number of times I’ve allowed F.E.A.R. to brainwash me. I bet I’m not the only person on this planet whose been swayed by false evidence conjured up in his head. To be our whole and authentic selves, we need to let go of whatever fears stand in our way.

#2 – Frame It
Blank Frames Wallpaper Imagine a whole wall of blank picture frames to fill. I’m sure the first thing that comes to mind for most of us is, “Say what? Draw ON the wall?” Sure, the frames could be filled with original artwork, but consider all of the other possibilities. These frames can surround anything you want: photos, magazine covers, headlines, recipes, quotes, or any combination of things that represent you and your life. I’m going to put up this wallpaper by Graham & Brown somewhere in my home!

#3 – The Whole Pie
Joyce Maynard Pie-Making Lesson Joyce Maynard, the author of Labor Day, a book about an escaped convict who hides in the home of a single woman and her teenage son, explains in a recent interview the significance of the pie-making scene in her book. After the interview, she shares her pie-making skills in a video (see link below). Although the video presents step-by-step instructions on how to make a pie, it’s not your average Martha Stewart-type production or pie. Ms. Maynard’s relaxed approach and her wabi-sabi philosophy of pie-making take the fear out of making flaky crusts and tasty pies.

Joyce Maynard Teaches the Labor Day Stars How to Bake a Pie.

#4 – A Whole Lot of Driftwood
Driftwood Horse Sculptures by James Doran As you stroll down a beach, you spy something on the sand. It’s an interesting piece of driftwood. You pick it up and decide to take it home as a souvenir. That’s what most of us do with when we find a piece of driftwood. British sculptor James Doran-Webb takes collecting driftwood to a whole new level. Using driftwood found along the coastal shores and riverbeds of the Philippine archipelago, he creates realistic life-sized sculptures of animals. Click on the links below to view more of his incredible work.

Amusing Planet
James Doran Webb

#5 – Part of the Whole
Each person comes into this world with a specific destiny–he has something to fulfill, some message has to be delivered, some work has to be completed. You are not here accidentally–you are here meaningfully. There is a purpose behind you. The whole intends to do something through you.
Osho

Now Go and Spread Joy!

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